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Wednesday, 5 July 2017

Get Major Savings With Preventative Maintenance And Fuel

As a fleet owner or manager, we know you’re always looking for ways to improve your budget. Especially when in the truck industry a few extra pennies here and there can make a major difference in keeping your business going. Check out how you can really improve your budget by saving with preventative maintenance and fuel.

How To Save

Preventative Maintenance

It may be time-consuming to check your brakes, get your tires rotated, get your oil changed on a regular basis, and more. Plus, you may not be particularly excited about the costs of regular care but taking care of your trucks will help you in the long run.

If your truck breaks down then the sudden repair cost will often be more than the cost of preventative maintenance, and that’s just the start. Repair cost will pale in comparison to loss profits and loads. Your customers will also be affected.

Especially, your best customers - those who have come to rely on your services on a regular basis. One or two canceled loads is not only a loss in profits but a loss in customer confidence. Worse still, those customers will have to hire your competition to deliver the canceled or lost loads, effectively giving your business away to the competition.

Preventative maintenance isn’t just about maintaining your equipment because it can benefit your drivers as well. Healthy drivers are more aware out on the road and less likely to make mistakes. Just as you would make sure your drivers are qualified and certified, make sure they’re healthy with routine check-ups beyond the required DOT physical exam.

A lot can affect your drivers’ health over 2 years, and if possible, offer to pay for a regular 6 month check up with a doctor. A couple of doctor bills could save you a lot of time and money by preventing wrecks. Also, let your drivers rest, don’t push them past their or your limits or if they get sick. Driving tired is the equivalent to driving drunk.

Save On Fuel

Fuel is your number one expense, but there are a few ways to save on it. For example, get rid of extra miles and improve your miles per gallon. This is possible with the help of ProMiles to either plan the most direct or most gas efficient route.

Tell your drivers to stick to the interstate if they can and to avoid taking back roads with four-way stops and traffic lights, which cause them to stop and accelerate more often. It may help to make sure all of their rigs have updated GPS systems to prevent drivers from getting lost.

You’ll want to cut down on all unnecessary miles so be sure to track your drivers during their routes and let them know you can see their trips so they’ll be more motivated to stick to the route. You could also provide incentives for the drivers with the best fuel efficiency. Your fleet could also gain a better driver retention rate with fun and unique incentives.

You’ll want to make sure drivers are doing what the can to improve their fuel efficiency. Are they cutting down on idling time? Are they braking hard or accelerating too fast? Are they pros at shifting gears? Also, cut down on is speeding to save a lot of fuel!

Enjoy Those Savings

Saving more allows you to set aside money for emergencies, grow your business, purchase better equipment, finally treat yourself, reward your drivers, and more. By taking a look at your budget you’ll quickly find new ways to save, especially when it comes to preventive maintenance and fuel.

For more trucking blogs visit TruckLogics.com and please share your tips about where to save in the comment section below.

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